Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2228-5881 11 3 2021 06 08 Antibacterial Activities of Phytofabricated ZnO and CuO NPs by Mentha pulegium Leaf/Flower Mixture Extract against Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria 497 504 10.34172/apb.2021.057 EN Mehran Alavi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5691-8326 Saeed Dehestaniathar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8236-3598 Shadieh Mohammadi Afshin Maleki Naser Karimi Journal Article 10.34172/apb.2021.057 2020 04 04 2020 08 05 Purpose: In this study, leaf/flower aqueous extract of medicinal plant species Mentha pulegium was used to synthesize ZnO and CuO nanoparticles (NPs) as a cost-effective, one-step, and eco-friendly method. Methods: Physicochemical properties of both metal oxide NPs (MONPs) were determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. Results: Phytofabricated ZnONPs and CuNPs illustrated 65.02±7.55 and 26.92±4.7 nm with antibacterial activities against antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Higher antibacterial activities were observed for CuONPs compared with ZnONPs. Conclusion: Large surface area and more reactivity resulted from smaller size as well as higher production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were considered to antibacterial efficiency of CuONPs against antibiotic-resistant E. coli and S. aureus.